Sterling Highway Shoulder Widening

MP 97 (Soldotna) to MP 118 (Clam Gulch) – AKSAS Project No. 58980

Project Overview

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) is designing a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) project on the Sterling Highway between Soldotna and Clam Gulch. The project will widen the shoulders between Milepost (MP) 97 and MP 118 from 4 feet to 8 feet, construct rumble strips, and incorporate a pavement safety edge. Improvements to lighting, approaches, driveways, guardrails, drainage, signage, and striping will be completed as needed.

Project Location

The goal of the HSIP program, as well as the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, is to reduce fatal and major injury collisions. Fatal and major injury crash mapping within this corridor led the DOT&PF to nominate this project and to receive HSIP funding. The HSIP nomination for this project can be viewed here (1.5 MB PDF) or from this site’s Documents page. Information regarding the HSIP process can be found at the Statewide HSIP site or from this site’s Links page.

The project will enhance safety by mitigating the frequency and severity of single vehicle run-off-the-road (SVROTR) crashes, same and opposite direction sideswipes, head-on collisions, and other problems related to drivers leaving the roadway and trying to correct.

The DOT&PF also plans to improve fish passage at Crooked Creek, MP 110.5. A bridge will replace the existing culverts, and the creek will be regraded under the bridge to restore the natural channel.

Project Update

Sterling Highway Shoulder Widening project construction was bid on by and awarded to Granite Construction. Project construction will occur during the summer of 2018 and 2019.